Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Westlake Chemical Corp. First Quarter 2012 Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, ladies and gentlemen, this conference is being recorded today, May 1, 2012. I would now like to turn the call over to today's host, Dave Hansen, Westlake's Senior Vice President of Administration. Sir, you may begin.

David R. Hansen

Thank you. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us for the Westlake Chemical Corp. first quarter conference call. I am joined today by Albert Chao, our President and CEO; Steve Bender, our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; and other members of our management team.

The agenda for today will be as follows: Albert will first make a few comments regarding Westlake's performance in the first quarter and current perspective on the industry. Steve will then provide you with a more detailed look at our financial and operating results. Albert will have a few concluding comments, and then we will open up the call for questions.

Global growth and lower costs position this manufacturer and supplier of fabricated building products, petrochemicals and polymers for steady double-digit capital appreciation in a perilous investment climate.